Adult coloring book sales skyrocket

Comforting colors

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Freshly-sharpened colored pencils are ready for the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Donna Zimmerman (left) and Pat Manley, both of Cedar Rapids, color in books provided during the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Mary Anne Caldwell of Cedar Rapids colors a design based on St. Basil’s Cathedral during the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Astrid Gale of Cedar Rapids colors during the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Astrid Gale of Cedar Rapids colors during the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Freshly-sharpened colored pencils are ready for the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

Joelyn Postlethwait of Marion, Barnes and Noble Cafe manager, chooses a new colored pencil during the first meeting of the Creative Coloring Club at Barnes and Noble in Cedar Rapids on Tuesday, July 21, 2015. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)

A small group gathered at Barnes & Noble in Cedar Rapids July 21 for the store’s first “Creative Coloring Club.”

Welsh, store manager, organized the group to celebrate coloring books marketed to adults. The trend is hot, hot, hot right now, but the Cedar Rapids store has carried the books for years.

“Finally, the world caught up with us,” Welsh laughs.

Today, the store carries more than 100 titles. The adult coloring books stand out from the more traditional children’s coloring books — the adult pages feature intricate pictures, with highly detailed designs that require a fine-tipped pen or well-sharpened colored pencil to complete.

Aficionados say coloring in these pages is relaxing and even therapeutic.

The trend started to take off after British artist Johanna Basford published the coloring book “Secret Garden” in 2013. In recent months, her books and others have shot to the top of best-seller lists.

“Secret Garden” was the No. 1 best-seller on Amazon as of this story’s deadline, with two other coloring books, including “Enchanted Forest” by Basford, also making the top 10. “Enchanted Forest” also was a best seller at the Cedar Rapids Barnes & Noble store last week.

The selection of available books is expanding. Basford’s garden and forest scenes have been joined by books featuring geometric patters, city scenes and cats. Even comic book publisher Marvel has jumped on board, releasing colorless versions of comic books for readers to decorate at will.

Several books are straight forward about what many find enjoyable about coloring. Titles like “Adult Coloring Book: Stress Relieving Patterns” and “Balance (Angie’s Extreme Stress Menders Volume 1)” have hit the best-seller list as well.

Astrid Gale of Cedar Rapids says, it is her way to relax.

“It’s very calming for the mind,” she says. “When doing something creative that requires me to focus, I can’t think about other things.”